‘Deserves a bigger club’: Reported Celtic target encouraged to make January move

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Much to the disappointment of St Johnstone fans, Ali McCann’s increasingly influential performances are no longer going under the radar.

The Edinburgh-born midfielder has been quietly impressive since forcing his way into the Saints’ starting XI last season. However, after being rewarded with his Northern Ireland debut during the November international break, McCann’s future at club level is starting to become a topic of discussion north of the border.

The Courier reports Celtic sent scout Tosh McKinlay to watch the intelligent, industrious playmaker in action during Saturday’s 1-1 Scottish Premiership draw with Motherwell.

The Hoops have a mixed record when it comes to signing home-grown youngsters from a league rival – for every Stuart Armstrong there’s a Gary Mackay-Steven after all, while SPFA 2019 Football Writer’s Young Player of the Year David Turnbull has started just once since moving to Glasgow.

But, according to Northern Ireland manager Ian Baraclough, it was only a matter of time before the vultures started to circle above McDiarmid Park.

“Ali McCann has done so well,” Baraclough tells the Belfast Telegraph after the 20-year-old almost marked his international bow with a stunning goal in last week’s 2-1 defeat to Austria.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if teams are looking at him. I know St Johnstone won’t be thanking me for saying that but he looks so at home at this (international) level.”

Baraclough is right – but St Johnstone will know, deep down, it was only a matter of time before their pretty-passing prized asset started to make a home for himself in the gossip columns.

Any speculation is destined to intensify too, with January just a few weeks away.

“No disrespect to St Johnstone but, after his two performanc­es for Northern Ireland dur­ing the past week, McCann deserves to be playing for a bigger club with better players and grander ambitions,” Northern Ireland legend and ex-Rangers defender Gareth McAuley adds.

Whether Celtic is a classic case of ‘too much too soon’ for McCann is an argument worth making.

Then again, Scott Brown is starting to look every one of his 35 years and, despite the best efforts of Callum McGregor, Neil Lennon doesn’t have another deep-lying midfielder capable of replicating the influence of his ageing skipper.